Author Topic: New guy needs help with his 1st ever brisket!!!  (Read 3321 times)

TigerTownBBQ

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New guy needs help with his 1st ever brisket!!!
« on: December 26, 2017, 07:14:42 PM »
So I just bought a "single cut brisket" from the local Giant Eagle to smoke in my brand new SI#1. It is 4lbs because it is just for myself and my 15yr old son. I have no idea what I'm doing and its killing me because I pride myself on the grille. Can someone please talk me through the simplest step by step process to make sure this thing is even edible?!?
I already have it brined and sitting in the fridge dor tomorrow.

SuperDave

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Re: New guy needs help with his 1st ever brisket!!!
« Reply #1 on: December 26, 2017, 09:13:04 PM »
What you likely have is a brisket flat. That end of the brisket is pretty lean. To compound this, most store bought flats are over trimmed. Just my approach would be to rub it with mustard and your favorite bbq rub. If you don’t have one, equal parts black pepper, kosher salt, garlic powder and onion powder works well on beef. Smoke at 225 until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 to 160. Foil wrap with a little liquid and continue to cook to roughly 195. Wrap in towels and allow to rest for an hour or two.
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TigerTownBBQ

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Re: New guy needs help with his 1st ever brisket!!!
« Reply #2 on: December 27, 2017, 08:39:44 AM »
Thanks for replying. I had the butcher keep 1/4in fat. A few follow up questions...

1. When I take it out to wrap at 160, should I add more wood? And should I just put a pan of water on bottom rack?
2. Is there any tricks to get the blackened crust?
3. Ive read some people are totally against wrapping. Is it your opinion that I definitely ahould?

SuperDave

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Re: New guy needs help with his 1st ever brisket!!!
« Reply #3 on: December 27, 2017, 09:11:49 AM »
1) If you are a big crust guy, don't wrap but you will sacrifice some dryness with this particular cut of meat. No need to add wood if you do wrap.

2) Not wrapping and having the 1/4" of fat is the trick.

3) This is your first attempt.  Trying it both ways is the only way to know what's right for you.  It sounds like bark is really important to you so try it without wrapping first time around. 
Model 4, Harrisville, Utah

SconnieQ

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Re: New guy needs help with his 1st ever brisket!!!
« Reply #4 on: December 27, 2017, 08:59:14 PM »
A 4 pound flat is going to want to go dry on you, even with 1/4 inch fat cap. I usually leave 3/8 to 1/2 inch fat cap (scored), but flats generally don't even have that much to begin with. Forget about bark on a small flat like that, or you will end up with a giant hockey puck. Reserve your dreams of bark for whole packer briskets, or brisket points. SuperDave's advice is perfect. Wrap in foil at around 150-160 with a little liquid. Don't add more wood. Meat has absorbed about as much smoke as it is going to by 140 or so, and if it's wrapped in foil, wood is not going to get in there anyway. Follow the rest of SuperDave's advice and you should get the best possible results from a small flat.

What you likely have is a brisket flat. That end of the brisket is pretty lean. To compound this, most store bought flats are over trimmed. Just my approach would be to rub it with mustard and your favorite bbq rub. If you don’t have one, equal parts black pepper, kosher salt, garlic powder and onion powder works well on beef. Smoke at 225 until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 to 160. Foil wrap with a little liquid and continue to cook to roughly 195. Wrap in towels and allow to rest for an hour or two.
« Last Edit: December 27, 2017, 09:02:02 PM by SconnieQ »
Kari from Madison WI "77 Square Miles Surrounded by Reality"
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TigerTownBBQ

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Re: New guy needs help with his 1st ever brisket!!!
« Reply #5 on: December 28, 2017, 02:57:53 PM »
So my first brisket is done... It came out full of flavor, but extremely tough!!! I cooked it unwrapped until it reached 192. Two things I noticed and nees advice on:
1) I didn't get a very good "smoke" taste/flavor...why?
2) Any suggestions on what to do differently so it isnt as tough...I expected it to cut like butter

TX Gent

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Re: New guy needs help with his 1st ever brisket!!!
« Reply #6 on: December 28, 2017, 05:27:20 PM »
What would really help us help you would be for you to provide much more in depth detail about your smoke from start to finish.

We all could throw does and don't all day long but they would be conjecture without knowledge. I will say a four pound brisket flat is just about the hardest smoke one could choose to do even for a vastly more experienced "guy" than myself. If I was to do this I would do the following steps to try and have a moist and soft chew finished flat...please understand I don't think I could get all the areas of the brisket the same.

Buy Prime only
Don't trim an ounce of fat off
Don't use salt in the rub
Use no more than 6oz of wood
Use a water pan no matter what
Start at a lower temp to prolong the smoke without high heat .... start dial at 150/175 setting until internal temp comes up to about 135/140
Have pink butcher paper ready... spritz paper with water before wrapping
Open the box and wrap one time with pink butcher paper then put promptly back in smoker at 225
Remove from smoker at 185 internal temp ... leave in paper and wrap with foil.
Insulate with a few towels and wait a minimum of two hours before peeking or opening up to slice.
Always slice across grain and probably very thin strips rather than thick ...easier to chew LOL

These would be the steps I would use if challenged with a lean four pound flat.
« Last Edit: December 28, 2017, 05:46:26 PM by TX Gent »
John ... Smokin #2  South of "Hells' Half Acre" and along ol' Deer Creek

SuperDave

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Re: New guy needs help with his 1st ever brisket!!!
« Reply #7 on: December 28, 2017, 06:35:44 PM »
So my first brisket is done... It came out full of flavor, but extremely tough!!! I cooked it unwrapped until it reached 192. Two things I noticed and nees advice on:
1) I didn't get a very good "smoke" taste/flavor...why?
2) Any suggestions on what to do differently so it isnt as tough...I expected it to cut like butter
1) How much wood and what kind of wood did you use? Try it again tomorrow and see if you don't think the smoke flavor is stronger.  On most smokes, the smoke flavor will be stronger on the second day.

2) Unrealistic expectation.  We pretty much told you the short comings of the piece of meat you chose from the start of this thread.  Foil wrap would have helped but no guarantee.  Also, never pull by temperature, use the toothpick test to tell you when the meat is done. 
« Last Edit: December 28, 2017, 06:37:17 PM by SuperDave »
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SconnieQ

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Re: New guy needs help with his 1st ever brisket!!!
« Reply #8 on: December 30, 2017, 12:36:25 AM »
TX Gent also made a good point about slicing. I usually put a toothpick in the meat to mark the direction of the grain before I place in the smoker, since it is sometimes hard to tell which way the grain goes after it is smoked. This way, I know exactly how to slice perpendicular to the grain. A couple times I sliced not just right, and it made a huge difference in how moist the slices seemed, and also how tender they seemed.
Kari from Madison WI "77 Square Miles Surrounded by Reality"
Singing the praises of small and simple. SI Model #1 with "Libby the dog" poultry skin eating accessory.
Weber Smokey Mountain (are we still friends?), Weber Kettle Grill (stop complaining WSM, I still have a chance)
Anova WiFi Sous Vide

gregbooras

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Re: New guy needs help with his 1st ever brisket!!!
« Reply #9 on: December 30, 2017, 09:48:23 AM »
Tiger I have done flats maybe 6 times and only one that was in the 4lb range. For that smoke I put it in a pan, this way it did not dry. Below is a recipe that has worked great for flats that are more in the 6-8 lb range.

But I would suggest buying a whole brisket it is cheaper and it will turn out much better. Also use a water pan as others have said and make sure the brisket is really done, temp can be any ware from 194-200 range. Also if you can find a prime brisket (all I use now) you will never go back to a choice cut of meat. Check your local Costco, normally they have it for about $4.00 a lb.
Best Greg


Brisket
6.7 lb. choice flat from Costco
Wood:
5.5 oz. Pecan
Quick Tender:
Apply and allow to sit for 30 minutes, rinse well and then pat dry & apply rub
Rub:
3 T Pickle Juice/3 T Yellow Mustard
Rub 7 Parts Black Pepper, 3 Parts Kosher Salt, 3 Parts Lawry’s, 1 Part Garlic

Directions:

Apply yellow mustard and then the rub, place in refrigerator overnight
Place in smoker at 260 degrees with the fat side down.
Once it hits 195 degrees test to make sure it is tender, remove from smoker. Place the brisket in pan covered with foil (add 1 cup Au Jus) place back in the smoker at 160 degrees, until dinner time.
* Took 7.5 hours to come up to 195 degrees, excellent brisket.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2017, 09:51:21 AM by gregbooras »